Of Love and Rock: Jakotsu and Bankotsu
by MageofDarkness
Summary: (AU) A Wish Upon A Star sidestory, can be read as a stand-alone piece though. Yaoi, JaBan. How Jakotsu and Bankotsu's relationship came to be, and how the Shichinin-tai was formed. {Mage finally wrote Chapter 6! Rejoice!}
1. Chapter 1: That Hottie in CAD

[AN]Konnichiwa minna-sama! Mage here with another fic! From the writer of Wish Upon a Star, comes... Of Love and Rock, A Jakotsu and Bankotsu story! ^__^ Anyway, please Read and Review! It starts out kinda slow at first, but I have to lay down the setting and introduce the main characters and junk. And first chapters are never that interesting, right? Right... Plus this isnt my best work. *sigh*  
  
===============================================  
  
Jakotsu sighed as he walked up the concrete sidewalk towards the hell on earth known as highschool. His mood matched the thick grey clouds in the sky and his feet already hurt inside his heavy combat boots. He shifted the book bag to his other shoulder as he walked up the path and through the doors.  
  
"666... 666..." He muttered as he walked along the rows of lockers lining the long stretch of tiled hallway. He chuckled slightly, remembering the first time he saw his locker number on his schedule. He had been a bit surprised, but he thought it cool that he would get that specific locker number.   
  
Though it would probably lower people's views of him even more. Jakotsu wasnt exactly popular or even fairly liked. His peers shunned him, not only because of the way he dressed (all in black, with spiked chokers and such), but because of his sexuality.  
  
Jakotsu had liked men ever since 7th grade. He didnt know how or exactly when he first realized he was gay, he just knew that it happened. Guys kept away from him when they found out, girls thought he was weird... Sure, there was the occasional yaoi fangirl, but those were scarce in this area.  
  
He sighed, reaching his locker at the end of the hallway. Ignoring the stares and whispers he got, he put away his supplies, grabbed his binder, and headed off to his first class: AutoCAD.  
  
~*~  
  
Jakotsu followed a couple of other CAD students out to the woodshop building. One of the guys ahead of him opened the heavy wooden door and went in, holding it open for his friend.  
  
Just as Jakotsu was about to slip through the door, the guy sneered and let the door go. He cried out as the door slammed on him, a protruding bolt piercing into his shoulder.  
  
"Stupid! Try opening the door before you go in." The guy said with a smirk, then went into the small room off the shop building. Sighing, Jakotsu pushed the door off him and darted in quickly; the evil door slammed shut with a loud bang.  
  
He went into the CAD room and sat down at one of the double tables, nursing his sore shoulder, which was beginning to bruise.  
  
"God damn jocks..." He muttered. Why couldnt people just accept him?! In the next 3 minutes, the rest of the class filed in. 'Just my luck...' He thought bitterly. Several cheerleaders and a few football players were in this hour.  
  
Jocks and preps were the worst! At least the other freaks didnt make fun of/torment Jakotsu.   
  
So involved in bitter thoughts was Jakotsu, that he didnt notice the three boys walk in, 5 minutes after the bell.  
  
~*~  
  
"You're late boys!" Mr. Zagar, or just plain Zagar to his students, yelled from his office. Zagar did a lot of yelling... Always had, but he was a cool guy.  
  
"Yeah yeah! Whatever!" The one who seemed to be the leader shouted back. He had long black hair in a braid down his back and deep, thoughtful eyes that held the gleam of one who loved their life.  
  
He went back to his conversation with his two companions, a dark-haired guy wearing a black t-shirt that said "Which one of my personalities do you find offensive?" and a bald guy wearing a bandanna and all black.  
  
Jakotsu looked up and his gaze fell upon the braided boy. 'Wow... He's hot...' He felt a bit of a blush rising to his face and he turned his head quickly.  
  
"Ogling some poor straight guy, were you freak?" A bitchy, female voice asked. There was a loud slamming sound as the prep dropped her books on the table. "I'm only sitting here because there's nowhere else to sit."  
  
"Like I fuckin care..." Jakotsu muttered. It was just his luck that he HAD to sit beside the preppiest prep in the whole fuckin school, other than Kagura of course. Yes my friends, Jakotsu had to sit with the dreaded Candice, aka Candie.  
  
"Well you dont have to be so rude!" Candie made a nasty face at him.  
  
"Well YOU were rude first." Jakotsu rolled his eyes. God she pissed him off! Actually, she pissed EVERYONE off. They were just too nice to say anything. But Jakotsu... now HE was a different story.  
  
"I was not! I'm not like you, you freak!" Candie shouted, furious now.  
  
"Awww, is da wittle preppy throwing a fit?" Jakotsu teased. He was having fun with this... Hey, annoying preps was ALWAYS fun!  
  
"YOU JERK!" She reeled back and slapped him across the cheek. (Poor Jaky-sama... What is it with girls and hitting him? --; *see wish upon a star, forgot which chapter...*)  
  
"HEY!" The braided boy stood from his chair, glaring at Candie. "Leave the guy alone bitch! You started all that!" He rolled his eyes. Ugh, preps... He hated them more than anything.  
  
Jakotsu looked at the braided guy, holding his sore cheek. 'He... stuck up for me... God, I want to get to know him... Maybe...' He smiled inwardly. 'Maybe we can be partners for the rest of the year...'  
  
Candie sat back down, as did Jakotsu and the guy. Zagar came out of his office and stood at the head of the classroom with his roster, then started taking roll.  
  
"Jade?"  
  
"I DIDNT DO IT!" A black-haired girl stood abruptly, eyes wide. Everyone laughed. One would swear she had the attention span of a rodent! "Whatever I did, I didnt do it!"  
  
"Sit down Jade." Zagar shook his head. Students these days... Jakotsu chuckled silently.  
  
"Cloey?"  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"Candie?"  
  
"Here!"  
  
So he continued down the list, until he got to Jakotsu, then the three boys behind him.  
  
"Suikotsu?"  
  
"Here dude! No we're not! SHUT UP YOU!" Suikotsu then began yelling at himself. It was a well-known fact that he had split personality disorder, but he sometimes did this sort of thing to make people laugh. Which everyone did usually.  
  
Zagar began to look cross. "BOTH OF YOU SHUT IT!"  
  
"Yes sir!" Nice tone of voice. "Yes sir!" Evil tone of voice. The laughter didnt die down until about 5 minutes later. Suikotsu sat there, looking proud of himself.  
  
"Renkotsu?"  
  
"DEMISE! Mwaha..."  
  
"Bankotsu?"  
  
"Here, dude!" Bankotsu, the braided boy, chuckled at his friends.  
  
'So that's his name...' Jakotsu thought, his eyes glazing over in a dreamy look. 'Bankotsu... Such a great name for such a hot guy...'  
  
Zagar finished roll call and put away the sheet of paper. "Okay people! We're picking partners now! Uday?"  
  
"I'm with Chad!" The two went and claimed one of the nicer computers, talking.  
  
Suikotsu and Renkotsu were together, Jade and Cloey were partners, Seto and Jounouchi, and Malik and Marik. Then Amelia and Zel, and Lina and Gourry. The rest of the jocks and preps paired off, leaving only Bankotsu, Jakotsu, Candie, and Fillia Ul Copt.  
  
"Okay, Candie?"  
  
The snotty prep eyed Bankotsu like a hawk eyes its prey. "I'm with Bankotsu."  
  
'DAMN IT! DAMNETH! DAMNETH! DAMNETTHHHHH!' Jakotsu was throwing a fit on the inside, but outside he just looked slightly ticked. So he was with Fillia... Great, just great... Things wouldnt have been so bad, but Fillia was a religious freak and had something against gay people for some reason...  
  
So when everyone had logged in and gotten on to the CAD program, Zagar began the lesson.  
  
~*~  
  
Jakotsu continually snuck glances at Bankotsu through the hour, seeing as he didnt have anything to do. Fillia had firmly told him not to do anything, because she didnt want him to mess it up and ruin her perfect grade. Jakotsu had decided not to point out that she didnt exactly HAVE a grade yet, it being the first day and all...  
  
So he sat there, in the hard metal chair, glancing at the rest of the students in the class. He saw Candie trying to flirt with Bankotsu, but he was working on their drawing and ignoring her. He didnt blame the boy either. Candie was ugly as hell, and he wasnt just saying that because he was gay, nooo...  
  
Jakotsu sighed. He had a feeling this was going to be a long school year...  
  
~*~  
  
That afternoon at lunch, Jakotsu grabbed a required reading book for english and went outside to find an empty bench. The air was thick and heavy, almost suffocating. Jakotsu knew it was going to rain any minute now, though he stayed outside. Who cares if his book got wet? It was his own copy anyway...  
  
"Oi! Sess!" He found the silver-haired senior sitting on a bench under a tree, silently eating an apple. Sesshoumaru barely glanced at Jakotsu.  
  
The smaller boy sat on the bench beside him. Sess was probably the closest thing he had to a friend, the only one who didnt think he was super-weird. As long as Jakotsu didnt hit on him, Sess was fine.  
  
"So, how's your day been?" Jakotsu asked, wanting to make conversation. Sesshoumaru just grunted, which the other took to be an 'okay'.  
  
"You dont talk much, you know that?"  
  
Another grunt, which Jakotsu took to be an 'i know that'. The dark-haired boy sighed and opened his book up, not even bothering. He just didnt feel like it today.  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu burst out the front doors with Suikotsu and Renkotsu, a football clutched under his arm. Glancing up at the sky, he saw that it was going to rain any minute.  
  
'Good... Its always funny to listen to teachers gripe because ya came to class wet...' He thought, grinning.  
  
He and his friends headed out onto the long stretch of grass and spread out. Bankotsu hurled the football at Renkotsu, who caught it and threw it to Suikotsu.   
  
So their game of 2-on-1 football continued.  
  
Renkotsu made a particularly wild throw; it soared overhead and straight towards the old oak tree with the plastic bench underneath. A single guy sat on the bench, reading. Sesshoumaru had gone into the bandroom to play something for a grade.   
  
"OI! LOOK OUT!" Bankotsu yelled, lunging at the flying football. The boy on the bench looked up, blinking.  
  
"Nan-ACK!!!" The football flew straight into the teenager's face, smacking into his nose and falling into his lap. "Owwww... Fuck..." He rubbed his sore nose, wincing.  
  
Bankotsu jogged the rest of the way, looking a bit concerned. "Hey, you okay dude?" He took the ball from Jakotsu's lap.  
  
"Yeah... I've gotten worse...." Jakotsu sighed, shrugging.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Renkotsu over there cant aim to save his life."  
  
"Its okay, just forget about it..."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"YES!"  
  
"Okay, okay..." Jakotsu rolled his eyes, standing up.  
  
"Hey, ya know what?" Bankotsu looked at him, his height especially. He was only a couple inches shorter than Bankotsu.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're tall for a girl."  
  
"Girl?!"  
  
"Waiiiittt... You're not a girl?" Blinku. "Oh yeah! Youre the guy from CAD! Sorry dude!" Bankotsu sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head in embarassment.  
  
"I should beat your ass with my shoe for that..." Jakotsu said jokingly, chuckling slightly despite the fact that he had been called a girl. Bankotsu laughed.  
  
"HEY! BANKOTSU! HURRY UP, WOULDJA?!" Suikotsu shouted from across the stretch of lawn.  
  
"Well, I'll seeya around then..." Bankotsu flashed the other a smile and ran off to join his friends.  
  
Jakotsu sighed, resting his chin in his hands. 'He's so definately straight... All the cute ones are always straight...'  
  
The bell rang then, and Jakotsu picked up his book. Eyes downcast, he followed the masses into the building. Today had been such a lousy day... It really did suck having a crush on a straight guy, ya know...  
  
===============================================  
  
Note: "Candie" is based on a real person I know and despise, the name has just been changed.  
  
So, I hope you all like it so far! If you were wondering, AutoCAD is a class I really take. Its like... mechanical drawing on the computer and its pretty fun actually, even if all the measurements DO give one a headache x.x;;;  
  
Updates: Will be few and far between. I write when I can, but sometimes I just cant pay attention x.x;;; (Ashura: She has the attention span of a rodent...) *nods sadly* Plus school and friends and having 4 other stories to work on and 5 other ideas isnt very good for my poor tiny mind o.o;;; But reviews are good for my poor tiny mind so-- OHH BANANA BREADS DONE! ^__^ *dashes for the kitchen*  
  
Ashura: ...She was going to say R&R onegai... so yeah... Ja Oo;;; 


	2. Chapter 2: The Beginnings of a Band

ANI wanna thank my best friend Clo-chan for helping me with ideas for this fic! Love you like a sister Cloey! And this fic will have some OCs, but they're just there to help Ja-kun I couldnt use any of the inu girls, since Ja-kun doesnt know them very well at this point in time, so i had to use OCs (aka my friends they deserve it anyway! i wuv you all! glomps friends)/AN

Review Responses Demonlady1, shanaka: arigatou!

Sakie: Yep, Jade's my own character! I guess you could say that she's nice, though sometimes (like me) she's a real bitch XD dude... Jade: bounces around Someone likes me! YAYNESS! (Ashura: ; Blast! We'll never get her to calm down now...) Eheh Oo;

Naoko2: Well, i'm glad you didnt think it was boring. I did Oo; but thats just me... giggles Yay! Ja/Ban forever! Yeah, those footballs really do hurt... I know from personal experience ;;; Fin jocks...

Lunar Mirror: 4 in the morning? oo there's a 4 in the morning! turns to ashura and sobs hysterically WHAT ELSE ARENT YOU TELLING ME! Seriously though, I can understand. I'm only in junior high and they pile work on us...

dangerous-beans: Yes! Torment the preps! Mwahahahahahaha! chases after "Candie" with a pitchfork

Liz.Q: Arigatou Liz-sama! Your comments mean so much to me teary eyes Oohh cookie!

Crimson Skye: Thanks!

Clo and Claire: I wish he'd kill her too ;;; I hate her... She thinks she's better than me just because shes a preppy wannabe (even worse than preps! xx) Anyway... Arigatou Claire-sama! tackle-hugs luv ya like a sister! you too clo! Heheh, yes Maliky-waliky

HieiSess'sBabyGirl: Yes, Mage remembers you, da obsessive fangirl Oo; I honestly dont know about his makeup, lets just say he's wearing it... And Bankotsu is straight... for now ;;; evil grin  
Bankotsu walked home after school that day, bag slung over his back. Suikotsu and Renkotsu chatted away about random things, walking on either side of him. Bankotsu's mind wasnt on the conversation though, it was on a certain boy.  
'He seems like a pretty cool guy... I wonder if he'd like to hang out with the guys and me some time... Hey, did I ever get his name? Dont think so... I'll have to ask him tomorrow in CAD'  
"Bankotsu? Earth to Bankotsu?" Suikotsu waved his hand in front of the aforementioned boy's face.  
"Huh? Wha?" The braided boy blinked.  
"I said, do you want to go hang out at the music store? Listen to some music and maybe pick up some chicks"  
"Oh, sure." He shrugged.  
"Great, lets go then"  
So, home forgotten, the three headed down to the local music store downtown.  
Bankotsu cursed softly under his breath as he flipped through the CDs on the rack. "Pop music... Ugh... Is that all this stupid store carries"  
"No." Suikotsu shrugged.  
"Yeah. They've got that popular rap stuff." Renkotsu snickered. He knew how much Bankotsu hated that type of music. Sure enough, the braided boy soon went on a rant.  
"Rap music? RAP MUSIC! THAT KIND OF RAP IS AN INSULT TO HUMANITY! ALL THEY DO IS TALK ABOUT BITCHES, DRUGS AND SEX! ITS DEGRADING!" Bankotsu stormed up and down the aisles, ranting and raving, making wild hand gestures. "Eheh... Ban... People are starting to stare..." Renkotsu laughed nervously, trying to calm his friend down.  
Suikotsu glared at the staring cashiers and random customers, a wild glint in his eyes. His dark personality took over his mind and he began to yell. "NOTHIN TO SEE HERE PEOPLE! GET YOUR DAMN CDS AND GET OUTTA OUR SIGHT"  
Most everyone but Renkotsu and a still ranting Bankotsu were like this: O.O;;; They quickly went about their business, averting their gaze from the three insane teenagers.  
"Okay I'm done..." Bankotsu blinked.  
"About time..." Renkotsu muttered. Suikotsu chuckled, his darker personality having dispersed.  
The braided boy continued to flip through the CDs, which seemed to be all pop, rap, country, and other shit. Everything BUT rock/metal. Briefly his mind wandered to his acoustic at home, and an idea struck. If this had been a cheesy American cartoon, a lightbulb would have appeared over his head.  
"Hey! Suikotsu, you play bass right? And you play keyboard, right Renkotsu?" Both nodded dumbly in response, looks of confusion etched on their faces. "Lets start our own band! This world needs more decent rock music"  
"Sure dude! I know a few older guys we can get to play with us, and Renkotsu can get his lazy ass to working on song lyrics." Suikotsu stated. "That'd be great dude"  
"Problem is, none of us have really outstanding voices." Renkotsu pointed out. "We'd be okay backup singers or something, but we need a lead singer"  
"True... I'll keep my eye out for someone"  
"You do that Ban, you do that"  
Jakotsu ran out the back doors towards the student parking lot, book-laden bag bouncing on his back. He just barely caught the small group of goths in the black car with silver flames painted on the hood as they were fixing to pull out.  
"Oi! Clo, Claire! Can I catch a ride? Please?" He stopped, panting, at the side of the vehicle. He was speaking to the owners of the tight vehicle and his next-door neighbors, Cloey and Claire Bakura-Valentine. They were identical twins with blonde hair and violet eyes, wearing black skirts and black sleeveless shirts with fishnet shirts over, and silver jewelry. The only thing different about them, in fact, was their facial expressions. Claire looked more... evil than Cloey. Jakotsu didnt know much about their past, but he knew they had an older sister named Mai and a half-brother, Bakura.  
"Sure thing Ja-kun! Hop in the back with Jade, Pheo-chan, Daemon and Rai!" Claire said.  
"Wont it be a bit crowded?" He blinkued. "Nah!" The homicidal blonde giggled in that evillish way of hers. "One of the girls can just move into Daemon's lap"  
"Why always me!" An angry shout came from the back and a crushed sprite can hit the back of Claire's head.  
"IDGIT! I'll burn those pictures of Mana in a bikini Jade took at the beach for you if you dont shut the hell up! AND QUIT LITTERING MY CAR"  
"O.O NOOO! NOT MY PICTURES"  
Jakotsu chuckled a bit. It was always entertaining hanging out with this group of weirdos, Forbidden Memories as they called themselves.  
"I get to sit in Dae-kun's lap this time!" Jade, a really short girl with shoulder-blade length dyed black hair and red cat-eye contacts shouted happily, moving to sit in the goth pyro's lap. She wore a pair of really baggy black pants with red detail and tons of pockets, a baggy black, hooded Slipknot sweatshirt, and heavy black combat boots. She, along with Cloey, were in his CAD class.  
Daemon had short, probably dyed, black hair and also wore red contacts, giving him a demonic appearance. He wore black baggy jeans, black boots, and a black t-shirt that said "I like monkeys, just not this one." and had a picture of a monkey on the front.  
He sighed, grumbling. "Why me? I'm not even going out with any of these psycho chicks and yet i always get one sitting on top of me! " And it was true. Jakotsu knew Daemon never thought of the girls as anything but friends; hell, they were practically his sisters!  
"Oi! Guy and girls, make room for Jakotsu back there!" Cloey yelled. "Or I'll sic Claire on you!" Eeping, the other two girls moved over to make room.  
Jakotsu hopped into the car and Claire pulled out, tires screeching on the pavement and leaving long black skid marks. Claire was a pretty damn reckless driver, but everyone was used to it by now. Hell, Jakotsu and the other goths HAD been getting rides from her for 2-3 years, ever since she threatened some poor guy to give her her drivers lisence. He looked over at the two girls on his left, Rai and Pheonix. Pheonix was a crazy purple-haired girl who wore mostly purple and black and was obsessed with toons. And there was Rai. She almost didnt look like she belonged with these psychoes. She had brown hair, innocent blue eyes, and wore slightly preppish, but far from slutty, clothes in different shades of blue. "Hey Ja-san, want to hang out with us for a while?" Cloey asked, turning around in her seat. "Sure!" Not like he had anything better to do anyway, right?  
The car reached its destination rather quickly, pulling up in the driveway of the Valentine-Bakura residence. Right next door, on the left, was Jakotsu's house.  
The 7 teenagers scrambled out of the car and dashed inside towards the kitchen, shouting at each other. "FIRST DIBS ON PIXIE STICKS!" Pheonix yelled.  
"SAVE ME AN ORANGE! YOU KNOW I HATE THE RED KIND!" That was Jade.  
"THERE HAD BETTER BE SOME FOR ME OR I'LL KILL YOU ALL DAMN IT!" And that was Claire.  
"Dont MAKE me let out my evil side!" That one was Rai.  
"AHA! SUGARY GOODNESS IS MINE!" Daemon huggled the giant pixie stick he had managed to swipe from Pheonix.  
Pretty soon, everyone was sprawled around the living room, eating and talking... Everyone except Cloey, who stood and glared.  
"Someone had better gimme one of those... Or else"  
"Or else what? --" Claire raised an eyebrow.  
"Or I'll turn on the Britney Spears CD." Cloey's violet eyes took on a dangerous look.  
"AH! NO NOT THAT!" Jakotsu willingly handed over two of his, eyes wide."So whats up Jakotsu?" Rai asked, stretching out in the plush armchair.  
"Not much... I saw a cute guy in CAD this morning, and then at lunch..." He blushed slightly, which earned fangirlish squeals from Cloey and Jade.  
"Oohhh! How KAWAII Ja-kun! Whats his name? How cute is he"  
"Was it love at first sight? Is he gay? Do you think he likes you?" A flurry of questions came from the yaoi fangirls.  
"Geez guys, leave the guy alone! I bet he doesnt wanna talk about his lovelife with nuts like YOU!" Daemon threw a couch pillow at his two closest female friends' heads. The blonde and raven-haired girl giggled madly. Jakotsu chuckled. "No Dae-kun, its okay. His name is Bankotsu; he's UBER-cute; I dont know; Probably not; and he probably wont like me as more than a friend"  
"Aww! Ja-kun! I bet if you get to know him he'll turn gay just to be with you!" Pheonix said, beaming. "Yeah! I mean, look at you! Youre such a bish!" Rai added, giving the boy a friendly hug. Jakotsu smiled.  
"Thanks girls"  
Meanwhile, Jade and Daemon were meddling with Mai's purple boombox, trying to find a decent rock station on the radio. "Wait! Stop it there! No, no! Go back!" Rai shouted; Daemon turned it back. "Here"  
"yeah"  
A Godsmack song, I Am, was playing. Jade squealed. "I love this song"  
"Sing it for us Jakotsu!" Claire grinned and threw pillow at him.  
He laughed. "Okay already! Cease fire!" Jakotsu cleared his throat, and his voice rang out clear and strong over the radio.

-insert song lyrics here-

"WOOHOO! GO JA-KUN!" Cloey cheered. Jade clapped enthusiastically, Daemon nodded in approval, and Rai and Pheonix both leapt to hug Jakotsu.  
"You are such a good singer!" Claire said, smiling.  
"Thanks guys." And it was true. Jakotsu was a damn good singer!  
"Hey was that my radio playing!" Mai shouted, storming through the door, her girlfriend Mana at her heels.1  
Jade and Daemon quickly hid it behind them and smiled innocently (as innocently as they could at least). "No"  
"It better not have been... C'mon Mana." Mai took the smaller blonde's hand and dragged her off.  
"Hai Mai-sama!" Mana chirped, following. Almost immediately, Daemon turned to Jade and Cloey.  
"Did either of you get any pictures"  
"We dont have our cameras Dae-kun Oo"  
"Oh yeah... Damn"  
"Well, I'd better go you guys..." Jakotsu stated, standing. "I'll seeya tomorrow"  
"Bye, and dont forget to tell us how things go with that Bankotsu guy!" Pheonix shouted after his retreating form.  
"I will!" He cut across the lawns and went inside, kicking off his shoes in the entryway.  
Seeing that no one was home, he went upstairs to do his homework, thoughts of Bankotsu and today's events swimming through his mind.  
ANI wrote this chapter while I was EXTREMELY hyper... I hope it was fairly entertaining, even if there's no Bankotsu and Jakotsu interaction just yet. There will be next chapter though!

1Mai/Mana aka Mai/Dark Magician Girl from ancient egypt. 


	3. Chapter 3: Love at First Song?

ANI wasnt going to post this today... e.e;;; But you all can thank Daemon for nagging me to put it up...

Review Responses Shinnyu Kudzu: Yesh, Dae-kun's my best friend ever! XD XD XD I honestly wouldnt know if he's hot or not... I've never seen him... We're internet buddies giggles whispers He has a nice voice though, we talked on the phone once XD And yep, Ban-kun is REALLY clueless XD

Sthenno: Yay for Ja/Ban!

Naoko2: I dunno if it was all necessary... I guess what I was trying to do was point out that Ja-kun isnt a TOTAL loner, and SOME people DO like him... Plus some of the girls are going be helping him out later on PS: Yeah we're all rock/metal freaks! XD

hush: updated! hehe... dead ducky... SQUEAK! XD

Demonlady1: Arigatou!

Liz.Q: Yesh, very demeaning... And very annoying looking through all that pop and rap shit to find the good stuff e.e;;; Heh, I live in the most boring state out there: Oklahoma, land of the prep and the redneck and the people who have no freakin clue what anime is e.e;;;

Charmed Angel:

Crimson Skye: Thanks!  
The next morning, Jakotsu stumbled into CAD, still half-asleep. He practically fell into his chair and immediately fell asleep with his head on the table.  
Candie came in just seconds after him and slammed her books on the table. "Not a morning person, are we Weirdo?" She said, rolling her eyes.  
Jakotsu didnt bother to lift his head or even open his eyes; in fact... the only part of him that reacted... was his middle finger.  
"How RUDE!" The prep-wannabe almost growled as her eyes narrowed into a glare.  
Bankotsu and Suikotsu, watching from the back of the room, snickered madly.  
"AND YOU TWO SHUT UP!" She screeched back at the two.  
"Hey! Candie!" Zagar yelled from his office. "Go out into the shop and quit yelling at people"  
"Go Zagar!" Suikotsu cheered, pumping a fist in the air. Grudgingly, the prep left the room.  
"Get to work!" Zagar shouted.  
There was a scuffling of chairs as the class dragged chairs to the computers that lined the walls. Jakotsu sat down at his and Fillia's, on the end of the row. But... Fillia wasnt here.  
"Heh, today's my lucky day... I wonder where she is though..." He mused softly to himself.  
Zagar came out of his office and walked along the row of computers, looking over everybody's work. He stopped at Jakotsu.  
"Fillia dropped this class for Ag. We'll have to find you a new partner." He stated.  
"Hey! I can!" Bankotsu leapt from his seat. "I cant stand working with Candie anyway! Please Zagar"  
'Please say yes! Please say yes! Please say yes!' Jakotsu chanted mentally, crossing his fingers under the desk.  
"Sure, I dont see why not"  
'YES! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!' He thought, almost jumping up on the table and dancing, but thankfully restrained himself.  
"Great! Thanks Zagar!" Bankotsu dragged his chair over to Jakotsu's computer and logged in. Jakotsu opened the CAD program, and the two started the assignment, which wasnt too hard, just a bunch of circles inside each other.  
"So... I dont think we've been properly introduced..." Jakotsu said, drawing a small circle in the center of the grid. "I'm Jakotsu"  
"Bankotsu"  
Of course, Jakotsu already knew this. He just wanted to make sure Bankotsu knew his name.  
The slightly smaller boy looked over at his new CAD partner, who was smiling slightly and studying the drawing in the textbook. God, he had the CUTEST little half-smile! Jakotsu thanked the Gods he was sitting down, because he could feel his knees go weak. He could see Cloey leaning back in her seat and mouthing 'Ask him out Ja-kun!' Beside her, Jade stifled a giggle and nodded enthusiastically, giving him the thumbs up. Jakotsu frowned at the two and shook his head.  
"Jakotsu?" Bankotsu blinked, waving a hand in his face. "Something wrong"  
Jakotsu could feel himself blush slightly. "No, no, nothing's wrong!" He said quickly.  
"Okay, if you say so... Hey, we need a circle with a 0.5 diameter outside of the first one." He said.  
"Oh, yeah, of course... 0.5..." Jakotsu continued with their drawing, seeming a bit distracted and sneaking glances at his new crush beside him.  
Later that day, at lunch, Jakotsu grabbed his CD player from his locker, along with his lunch, which consisted of a packaged chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of strawberry Gatorade, and hurried outside to find a good spot.  
"Good... The stupid 8th graders didnt take my spot today..." Jakotsu sat down on the raised concrete bordering the flowerbed out front and took a drink from his gatorade.  
Enjoying the peace, he opened his cookie and was about to take a bite when.  
"HI JA-KUN!" Two high-pitched female voices shouted from behind him.  
"KYAAA!" Startled, he jumped up, dropping his cookie in the process. "God damn it Cloey, Jade"  
Cloey giggled. "Gotcha"  
Jade stared at the dropped cookie, which was already being attacked by ants. Getting an evil glint in her eye, she withdrew a small magnifying glass from her pocket, laid on the ground on her stomach, and proceeded in trying to set the ants on fire.  
"So what do you want?" Jakotsu asked, sitting back down and sighing.  
"You know, its obvious Bankotsu likes you!" The blonde sat beside him, smiling.  
"Hes STRAIGHT Clo." He rolled his eyes.  
"Well then we'll have to make him un-straight! You two would make the CUTEST couple!" Her violet eyes went starry. "I can see it now! First you two going out, then getting married, then adopting children, and growing old together! Its so romantic!" Cloey gave a dreamy sigh.  
"...You are such a nutjob its not even funny..." He chuckled.  
"No, Jade's the nutjob! I'M the psycho-chick"  
"No! I'm the Funny Farm escapee!" Jade shouted from her spot on the ground. "Pheonix is the nutjob"  
"Whatever"  
"Anyway Ja-kun, we're going to help you win Bankotsu's heart! It'll be so fun!" She said happily.  
"I dont know if i want YOUR help." He said, raising an eyebrow.  
"Ohhh we playin matchmaker Clo-chan?" Jade asked, ants and magnifying glass forgotten.  
"Not for me you arent"  
"Hey!" She stood, hands on her hips. "We got Seto Kaiba and Jounouchi Katsuya together last year, and Ryou, Bakura, Malik, and Marik the year before that! If we can do it for THOSE guys, we can definately get you together with Bankotsu"  
"You set up a four-way relationship!" Jakotsu stared, blinking. That was certainly... odd.  
"Yep! " Cloey giggled and poked him. "Just trust us Ja-kun"  
"Fine..." He gave in, knowing that if he didnt, those crazy girls would just bug him until he did. "But if you screw anything up, youre dead"  
"Hai!" Both chirped, grinning widely before skipping off to plot.  
Jakotsu chuckled softly to himself. Those two were something else, that was for sure. They were pretty nice though. He closed his eyes and leaned against the brick wall, putting his headphones over his ears and turning on his CD.  
He lost himself in the music, and began to sing along without knowing it.  
Bankotsu was just heading outside, football under his arm and Renkotsu in tow. Suikotsu hung back, currently having a 3-way argument with a short, dark-haired gothic chick. Go figure.  
"'Ey Ren! Fetch!" Just outside the doors, he chucked the football clear across the campus, near the entrance to the library.  
"Bankotsu you asshole!" Ren glowered and jogged after the ball. The braided boy chuckled, before he caught the sound of someone singing... This someone had an awesome voice, he noticed.  
Jakotsu sighed softly, a small smile gracing his lips. Eyes still closed, he saw a vision before him... of a smiling Bankotsu... 'Love at first sight? Maybe'  
Bankotsu followed the sound of the boy's- he assumed it was a guy- voice. Looking around the corner, he saw Jakotsu, leaning against the brick wall, looking relaxed with his eyes shut.  
It was Jakotsu singing, he realized... Bankotsu didnt make a sound. He wanted to hear the rest of the song.  
Jakotsu's voice faded away with the song's end. Bankotsu was filled with emotion, listening to just that one song... But he had no idea what that feeling was... It was strange.  
Shaking it off, Bankotsu moved into Jakotsu's line of sight, waved, and sat down beside him. Jakotsu smiled and took the headphones from his ears, letting them hang around his neck. The music still blared from the contraption.  
"Hey Jakotsu"  
"Hi"  
"So um... what're you listening to?" Bankotsu asked, looking down at the headphones dangling around the other boy's neck.  
"System of a Down. They've got some really good songs; really deep, ya know?" Jakotsu pressed the off button on the shiny silver CD player. "Ah, tight"  
"Yeah"  
Bankotsu's gaze fluttered to the ground off to the side. Why was he so nervous all of a sudden! 'God this is weird'  
"So... ano... I heard you... singing, that is..." He said, avoiding the other boy's eyes.  
"Really..." Jakotsu looked down at his lap. Was he... blushing? "I guess I just... lost myself for a moment..." Yeah, he was blushing!  
"You have a really great singing voice you know"  
"R-really?..." Bankotsu could tell Jakotsu's face was slowly getting redder. Why was he blushing? "Yeah, you do. Hey... me and some of my friends are kinda forming a band and... we need a lead singer... I was wondering if you'd like to do it..." Bankotsu shrugged slightly.  
Jakotsu's eyes widened slightly in surprise. 'He's asking ME to sing in his band! Me'  
Suddenly, a tiny angel-Jakotsu and a tiny devil-Jakotsu appeared on his shoulders, only visible to him.  
'Yeah, hes asking you dumbass!' Devil Jakotsu shouted, shaking his little pitchfork.  
'Say yes! Say yes! Its not every day you get an offer to sing in a band with a totally hot guy!' Angel Jakotsu bounced up and down happily, halo askew in an adorable fashion. Jakotsu stared incredulously at the two tiny figures on his shoulders. 'Hey, i thought consiences only appeared to help you make HARD decisions'  
'We were bored!' The both chirped innocently.  
"I gotta start gettin decaf..." He muttered softly to himself.  
"Did you say something?" Bankotsu asked just as the little angel and devil Jakotsus vanished, snapping Jakotsu back into reality.  
"Um, no " Jakotsu rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. Bankotsu looked crestfallen.  
"So... you dont wanna play with the band?..." Jakotsu felt his heart twist almost painfully inside his chest as he looked into Bankotsu's eyes, which were filled with the pain of rejection.  
"No! I do! I'd love to!" He said quickly.  
"Really?" The braided boy perked up. "Great! I'll talk to Suikotsu and Renkotsu and give you details tomorrow! Ja!" Bankotsu leapt to his feet and ran off to find his friends, looking back at Jakotsu and waving. His silky black braid swayed against his back.  
Jakotsu rested his chin in his hands and smiled. God he was cute!  
ANSorry about the shortness, but I thought that was a decent place to end this chapter. 


	4. Chapter 4: Hits and Near Kisses

[AN]*Mage is seen hacking at her writers block with a plastic sword, wearing her brother's Inuyasha costume* *suddenly the block shatters* ^__^ WOOHOO! IM UPDATING! ^__^ I should be working on my civics report right now, but oh well. Oo;   
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
hush: um... its not soon, but I updated! oo;;; dont send the dead rubber duckie army! and dun sic anyone on mehhhh! i tried to update sooner, but... but... BLAME THAT! *points to the rubble that was once her writers block Oo*  
  
NY Hanyou: Arigatou ^^  
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: Mwee Oo Well, we're internet friends, but if we all went to the same school and stuff we'd probably act like that. ehhh... ~.~ i'm a softie... email me with your stats and I'll try to write you in. Oo;  
  
DemonLady1: updated!  
  
Sakie: hehe ^^;;; its true, very very true my quote is... R&B? Oo; what is this R&B you speak of? Oo; yes, Mage knows... Mage dont get out much and Mage only listens to the bands Mage's hard rock/metal freak friend recommends...  
  
Liz.Q: ^_^  
  
Lunar Mirror: pixie sticks? ........ ....... *goes to find pixie sticks*  
  
Oneesan no Miroku Houshi: yes it is... I dunno why though, they're such a cute couple ^_^ and yes, us Ban/Jak fans need to stick together!  
  
dangerous-beans: honto? ^__^ arigatouuuuuu!  
  
Naoko2: we're going to send him through hell and back! XD joking... *shifty eyes* i updated... not exactly soon, but I put in some fluff and action! can i have the piccy? o.o;;;; *puppy dog eyes* *begs* (Ashura: Oo; she's jakotsu-crazed, cant ya tell?  
  
daemon: arigatou! but dae-kun, the story is a yaoi romance Oo of course its going to have yaoiness silly XD *patpats Oo*  
  
===============================================  
  
Bankotsu jogged back to where he found Renkotsu sitting, a deflated football at his side and glared at the bald boy.  
  
"Did you HAVE to go and pop the ball?!"  
  
"Yes. Thats what you get for being an asshole." Renkotsu stated simply, not looking up from whatever he was doing at the moment.  
  
"Whatcha doin'?" Ban blinked, suddenly forgetting the football.  
  
"Writing song lyrics."  
  
"Oh, can I see?"  
  
Renkotsu moved his arms so Bankotsu could see the notebook in his lap. The sheet of paper it was currently turned to had lyrics scribbled all over the page, with lots of cross-outs and a few doodles.   
  
Bankotsu grabbed the notebook and held it closer, squinting as he tried to decipher Renkotsu's messy writing. He began to read aloud slowly.  
  
"I'm ethereal, my children are leigion... oh, serial, they stick to my skin like beloved cysts, I tear away with my... nails... and teeth and fists..."  
  
"Thats enough of that." Renkotsu grabbed back his notebook, looking slightly ticked off. "I'll type it when I'm done so you half-wits can read it."  
  
"Meh, fine. Now what was I going to tell you?" Bankotsu wrinkled his eyebrows, staring up at the sky in thought. Curse his forgetfulness.  
  
Renkotsu raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh yeah! I found us a lead singer! His name's Jakotsu, he's got the voice of an angel! Or... whatever..." The dark-haired boy shrugged.   
  
"Voice of an angel, tch. You sound like you have a crush on the guy!" Renkotsu scoffed.  
  
Bankotsu's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am NOT that way Renkotsu, you know that. So shut up."  
  
"Feh, whatever. I'm going to finish writing my song in peace." With a slight glare, he picked up his notebook and pen and headed into the library.  
  
"He always was a little bastard..." Suikotsu stated, coming up behind Bankotsu, who just nodded.  
  
~*~  
  
6th period Jakotsu had band, with Mr. Parham. Oh gods how he hated that man! Everyone did in fact. He had no clue why he stayed, maybe because he just loved music, but he did.   
  
Jakotsu put his flute to his lips as Mr. Parham started the band on the next song. But he wasnt paying attention. Nor were his fingers moving. His mind was currently on a certain blue-eyed, black-braided boy...  
  
'I cant believe it! I'm going to sing for a hot guy's band... Someone up there so definately likes me...'  
  
"Jakotsu? Are you even paying attention? I dont see your fingers moving." Mr. Parham said, stopping the rest of the band.  
  
"Um... uh..."  
  
"You get a mark. Honestly..." The overly-tall teacher said, sighing and shaking his head.  
  
"Maybe if you wouldnt make us play so slow, we wouldnt be falling asleep in class Mr. P!" A random class troublemaker stood, knocking over his chair.  
  
"SIT down!" Mr. P yelled, beady eyes narrowing.  
  
"Screw you!"  
  
"TO THE OFFICE!" Mr. P's face was turning red, then purple with anger. Near stomping, he marched the troublemaker out of class. Seeing as the teacher was gone, studens got out of their seats and began conversations with their friends.  
  
Rai took the empty seat by Jakotsu, dropping her clarinet carelessly to the ground.  
  
"Yo Ja-kun."  
  
"Hey Rai."  
  
"So whats up?"  
  
"Not much." His lips spread into a kawii grin. "Bankotsu just asked me to be lead singer for the band he's starting up."  
  
"Really?! Thats great Jakotsu! Clo and Jade'll be glad to hear that."  
  
"Yeah, lets just not tell them when they're sugar-high."  
  
"Good idea... Hey, speaking of sugar-high Jade and Clo..." Rai pointed up to the front of the classroom, where said girls were staging a 'sword fight' with their flutes.   
  
Jakotsu chuckled a bit. He could hear Bankotsu laughing on the other side of the room, and almost melted. Everything about that boy was cute it seemed!  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu chuckled amusedly as the troublemaker was marched out of the classroom. It was about time someone told Mr. Parham what they thought about his class!  
  
He laid his instrument on top of the case and leaned back in his chair. It was just too bad Suikotsu wasnt in band. He didnt really have anyone to talk to right now.  
  
"Hey, Jakotsu's in this class, isnt he?" A glance to the other side of the room confirmed this thought. There was Jakotsu, talking with a brown-haired girl. "Damn... He probably doesnt want me bugging him..." Bankotsu sighed. So much for going to talk to Jakotsu.  
  
He continued to stare at the boy though. The artificial light shone on his dark hair, and Bankotsu could easily see the smile on those lightly-glossed lips. Jakotsu was almost... cute.  
  
'AH NO! Bad Bankotsu! He cant be cute! He's a... He's a he! Why am I thinking like this?!' He mentally scolded himself.  
  
Bankotsu's attention quickly turned to the front though, when he heard the sounds of clashing metal and yelling. A dark-haired girl and a blonde were having a pretend sword fight with their flutes, and he began laughing. It WAS rather comical.  
  
~*~  
  
"Geez... I'd better go see if i can calm Jade and Clo down, then I'm gonna talk to Pheo. Seeya Jakotsu!" Rai got up, taking her clarinet with her and gracefully wound her way to the other side of the large room.  
  
"Seeya Rai!" Jakotsu shouted after her.  
  
He then turned slightly in his seat, so he could look at Bankotsu without seeming like he was looking at him. Resting his chin in his hand, he let out a dreamy sigh.  
  
'Bankotsu... Even his name is cute... I wonder if he could ever learn to like guys...'  
  
His mind swam with images, daydreams of him and Bankotsu, very fluffy cute daydreams in fact. Most ended with a declaration of love and a sweet kiss.  
  
Then, lo and behold! his consiences appeared! Little Devil Jakotsu, and Little Angel Jakotsu, who seemed to enjoy appearing at completely random times.  
  
'This isnt really healthy Jakotsu, ya know that?' Angel Ja said, trying to straighten his halo, which just fell askew again.  
  
'What isnt healthy?'  
  
'Having such a huge crush on Bankotsu dumbass!' Devil Jakotsu muttered, crossing his arms and floating above his shoulder cross-legged.  
  
'Yeah, I know... But I cant help it...'  
  
'We know you cant.' Angel Ja stated flatly. 'We're your mind ya know.'  
  
'If I wasn't underage, I'd swear I was drunk right now.' Jakotsu thought to the two little hims on his shoulders.  
  
'Well you had better get used to just being friends, cuz thats all you and Bankotsu are ever gonna be.' Devil Ja said, poking his pitchfork into the side of Jakotsu's head.  
  
'You dont have to be so mean about it!' Angel Ja glared at Devil Ja, and pretty soon they had started up an anime dust cloud fight.  
  
Jakotsu mushroom-cloud sighed as the dust cloud containing his consiences vanished. "I'm so fucked up it isnt even funny..."  
  
And just GUESS who HAD to over hear our hero muttering to himself? If you guessed the evil snotty prep-slut Candie, you're correct! Yay for you!  
  
"Hey, for once you're right!" Candie sneered, flipping back the ugly brown hair she took so much pride in.  
  
"Shut the fuck up Candie." He said coldly.  
  
"Dont tell ME to shut up!" Her expression went from taunting to angry in less than a second. Jakotsu didnt flinch.  
  
"I'll say what I want to say and a prep like you isnt going to stop me."  
  
"Prep?! I am not a prep!"  
  
"Uh, yeah, you are." Everyone's favorite psycho-bishie raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Even if I am, its better than a punk like you!"  
  
"Punk and proud of it. Got a problem with that?" Jakotsu said, venom coating his words.   
  
"Yes I do actually!"  
  
"Why dont you just leave me the fuck alone?!"  
  
By now, most of the school band had gathered in a large circle around the two, and Pheonix and Jade had pushed the chairs out of the way, providing a large area of free space.  
  
"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Daemon started up a chant. The rest of the band followed suit, like spectators at a sporting event.  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu stood on the tips of his toes, trying to see over the sea of people surrounding Jakotsu and Candie. Impatiently, he just pushed some random girls aside and squeezed to the front, just as a guy began chanting "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"  
  
Well, this would be interesting...  
  
~*~  
  
Candie lunged at Jakotsu first, landing a rather weak punch to his jaw. Jakotsu countered with punch to her face. The prep tackled him to the floor, but he quickly rolled so he was on top and punched her again.  
  
The two were rolling on the ground, a flurry of fists and feet. Others cheered for one or the other, mostly shouts rang out for Jakotsu though. Bankotsu and Pheonix even scribbled a hurried "Go Jakotsu!" on a sheet of paper with a permanent marker, and were waving it above the heads of their peers.  
  
All in all, it was the most action any of the band students had seen in years of taking Mr. Parham's class.  
  
Candie now had the upper hand. Her fist pounded into Jakotsu's face repeatedly. Bankotsu narrowed his eyes and moved into the circle, as did Daemon. Together, both boys pulled the prep from Jakotsu.  
  
"You okay Jakotsu?" Bankotsu asked, looking slightly worried. The boy nodded, catching his breath. He didnt bother to sit up just yet.  
  
~*~  
  
"You thinkin what I'm thinkin?" Jade whispered to Cloey, eyeing Jakotsu and Bankotsu in just the right places.  
  
"You know it Jade." Cloey grinned, and in one fluid motion, tripped Bankotsu with her flute.  
  
~*~  
  
"KYAA!" Bankotsu yelled in surprise. He fell... right on top of Jakotsu... face to face... lips to lips...  
  
So shocked was he, that he almost forgot it was a man he was kissing. Bankotsu closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Jakotsu's soft lips on his.  
  
Jakotsu was in heaven. His eyes closed also and he kissed back, though taking things slow so as not to scare Bankotsu off.  
  
Suddenly the braided boy's eyes snapped open and he pulled himself away quickly, rolling off of the other.  
  
"Oh god... Sorry Jakotsu..." Bankotsu wiped his lips with his sleeve, navy blue eyes wide as dinner plates almost.  
  
Jakotsu smiled slightly to hide his disappointment. "It... Its okay Bankotsu..."  
  
"Hey! Mr. Parham's coming!" A random kid yelled from by the door. The students scrambled to their seats, righting everything along the way, and the band teacher was never the wiser about what had gone on in his class, despite Candie's black eye and the few bruises Jakotsu had attained during the fight. ah well, he never was very observant.  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu sighed as he left band after the bell, his mind on the events that had taken place earlier. He had... kissed Jakotsu... And... as much as he hated to admit it, he had liked it...   
  
'No, I cant be like that... Can I?' Then you'll never guess who appeared. Eh, wrong. Guess again. If you guessed Bankotsu's own consiences, you were right! Kudos to you.  
  
'Maybe you are! Have you ever given guys a chance?' Little Angel Bankotsu said cheerily. Devil Bankotsu scoffed from the boy's other shoulder.  
  
'But he likes GIRLS stupid!' The red-clad mini-Ban shouted.  
  
'There is such thing as being bi you know!' Angel Ban stuck out his tongue. Devil Ban stuck his tongue out also, at a loss for words.  
  
"I'm going nuts..." Bankotsu muttered, shaking his head. His consiences disappeared with a Poof! "I'm SO going fucking nuts..." Ban reached his locker, and began to bang his head against the door in frustration.  
  
~*~  
  
Jakotsu almost skipped out of band. He couldnt keep the smile off his face. Bankotsu had kissed him! Not on purpose mind you, but it was a kiss nonetheless! He went to his seventh period and sat down, humming to himself as he got out his text book.  
  
Nothing could ruin his good mood, not now.  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN]*a giant concrete block falls on mage* GACK!!! v.v; its baaaack! I dont know what to write next... *sniffles* if anyone has any ideas, lemme know onegai? suggestions are VERY welcome...[/AN] 


	5. Chapter 5: The ShichininTai

[AN]Mage: *is hiding behind Ashura* I know, I know! I said I'd take a two-week break, but it ended up being a LOT longer! I'm SO SO SO SO SO sorry! I had major writers block and I've been rather busy, but I'm back now! WOOHOO!  
  
Ashura: yay? Oo  
  
Mage: Hehe ^^; I just realized, I think my story's the first highschool AU Ja/Ban! ....If theres another, lemme know o_o; But until then... ya ^^; I cant believe I'm a success now... I mean, 54 reviews for only 4 chapters is alot for me ^_^;; ARIGATOU EVERYONE!  
  
~~Review Responses~~  
  
hush: I updated! ^^ and no Mage hasnt seen the Crow yet Oo; non-fanfics? try fictionpress.com. dude oo german...  
  
The-Soul-Within: Arigatou gozaimasu! Mage always accidentally leaves the 'a' in kawaii out... Dont ask why... e_e; and as for my not using apostrophes, its a lost cause. I never do, I probably never will. But thanks for pointing it out anyway ^^  
  
Tennyo: Arigatou ^^  
  
dangerous-beans: Heh, sorry for not updating sooner. ^^" Mage is truly sorry... And thanks for your idea!  
  
ather: arigatou ^^ heres the next chappy!  
  
demonicpriestess89: ^^; Thank you! Bankotsu and Jakotsu are from episodes... um... cant remember the numbers exactly, but its up in the 100s, i think the Shichinin-tai come in first in 102... I'd have to check my dvds, which i dont feel like doing.  
  
lancer272spoot: thankies ^^ oooo monkey... Oo;  
  
Miyu Yomano: ^^ yay for yaoi fangirls!  
  
Liz.Q: Yo lizzie-chan! XD Yay for kissing! W007! Hehe... playing with toes... toes are fascinating... when they dont smell funky e_e;;;   
  
Shinnyu Kudzu: Hiiii! Yes i write you in ^^ you in dis chapter, yaya! *glomped* .....^__^ yayness... (Ashura: *double tackled* =D yo!) He's a happy cookie O_o; I wanna cookie now e_e  
  
tikimoof: can too go to da funny farm my funny farm O_o;  
  
HieiAndSess'sBabyGirl: Arigatou!  
  
Naoko2: yes, Mage bad... v_V mage should have planned it out but mage never takes the time to plan stuff out... Mage doest care about probability, nonope ^^; Mage just thought a kiss would be cute and would satisfy fangirls Oo; You like Renkotsu? amazing... I hate him. Oo; he killed jakotsu! *sobs* yus candie horrible... D mwaha... OOOOHHH! Thank you SO SO SO much for the ideas! So helpful! =D I like the rain one... ; Maybe i should modify it slightly annnndddd... *writes*  
  
Sakie: Thanks for the review ^^ and thats actually a really good line... Hmm...  
  
lunar mirror: PIXIE STICKS! *grabs, inhales* Arigatouuuu! luff! *glomps*  
  
cloeyvalentine: Yo clo... Im still mad at you for being so snottish... Feh, Naki's ruined you... *stabs a naki plushie and condemns it to hell*  
  
Charmed Angel: Arigatou ^^  
  
Dracogazimon: yo pheo XD down with preps... and consciences dont HAVE lives Oo thats why they mess with other peoples lives *nods wisely*   
  
===============================================  
  
One week later, after school, Jakotsu paced his front lawn nervously. Last night he had gotten a call from Suikotsu; the new band was going to have their first practice today, at 6. It was only about 4, but Jakotsu's nerves were getting to him.  
  
He was mostly nervous about having to see Bankotsu again. After the little incident in band, they had carefully avoided each other in the halls, occasionally greeting each other politely and moving along. It had been hell! Now every time Jakotsu thought about it, he blushed.   
  
But some other things were getting to the guy, like how practice would go today.  
  
He didnt really know these people, other than Bankotsu. What if they didnt like his singing? Already the band meant so much to him; it was something he had in common with Bankotsu.  
  
Bankotsu... The braided boy had been on Jakotsu's mind a lot lately. His face haunted his dreams; his voice haunted his mind wether he was asleep or not... The thing that confused Jakotsu the most, was one question... Was this love, or just an infatuation? Only time with the guy would tell, he guessed.  
  
"Hey Jakotsu!" A cheery, female voice shouted from across the stretch of green lawn. Jade jogged up to him, followed by another girl.  
  
She was rather short, roughly 4'11", about an inch shorter than Jade, and she had wavy brown hair with red streaks and brown eyes gazing from behind purple wire-rimmed glasses. She didnt look out of place near the punk/goth psycho, clad in a black t-shirt over a fishnet shirt with cargos and combat boots.   
  
"Hey Jade... ano... Who's your friend?" He asked, blinking.  
  
"This is meh new best friend Kudzu-sama!" Jade said brightly, grinning in that stupidish way of hers.  
  
"I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND, YOU TRAITOR!" Cloey shouted from her window in mock-anger, then erupted into giggles, as did the other two girls.  
  
Jakotsu raised an eyebrow, smiling amusedly. "So... nice to meet you Kudzu-san."  
  
Kudzu took a good look at him, from head to toes and shouted suddenly, "HOLY MOTHER BLOODY SON OF A CRACKHEAD! HE'S EVEN BISHIER THAN YOU DESCRIBED JADE!"  
  
"Aint he though? ^__^" Jade giggled and pinched the poor boy's cheeks, acting like some old grandmother.  
  
"Kyaaaaa... Enough with the pinching..." He muttered, swiping her hand away and rubbing the abused cheek. He was met with more giggling.  
  
"So how are things with Bankotsu, Ja-kun?"  
  
"Bankotsu, as in the bishie-ful punk from school?" Kudzu asked, blinking.  
  
"Yup! Ja-kun has a crush on him!" Jade grinned as the boy began to blush profusely.  
  
"Awww! That's so sweet!" This just made Jakotsu blush even more, til his face was near the color of a ripe strawberry.  
  
"Heh... Things with Bankotsu are fine... The band is having our first practice today at 6..." Jakotsu said, filling them in.  
  
"Oh yay! C'mon Jakotsu-sama! We gotta make you look good for your date tonight!" Kudzu squealed happily, taking the poor boy's wrist and dragging him into the house occupied by the Bakura-Valentines. Jade followed, beaming.  
  
~*~  
  
Half an hour later...  
  
"Are you sure he's gonna like this?" Jakotsu asked the three girls surrounding him skeptically. Cloey had joined Jade and Kudzu in the quest to make Jakotsu look as bishie-ful as possible.  
  
Now he sat on a violet-covered bed in Mai's room while the girls tested different lipsticks and eyeshadows on him. Most of the makeup belonged to Mai, or Mana.  
  
"Just trust us Ja!" Cloey said brightly, tossing aside a tube of purple grape-scented lipgloss. "Oh! What do you girls think about blood red lipstick and just a little eyeshadow?"  
  
Said makeup was expertly applied to his face.  
  
"I like it!" Kudzu said, smiling.   
  
"Me too!" Jade added.  
  
"Now for his clothes, jewelry and hair!"  
  
Jakotsu groaned inwardly. The girls were his friends and all, but once they set their minds to something, they never gave up... He couldnt wait til 6:00.  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu sighed soflty as he popped the tab on the icy soda can and took a long drink.   
  
"Jakotsu and the others'll be here any minute now..." He said, more to himself than to anyone else. Dark blue eyes glanced around the garage, making sure the equipment was set up. Everything was in place and ready.  
  
"OI! Suikotsu! What time is it?" He yelled in the direction of the inside door. Bankotsu heard a crash and assumed Suikotsu had tripped over something. He chuckled; neither he, nor his parents were very tidy people and the house was a mess.  
  
"Ten til Bankotsu!" Suikotsu yelled back. A few minutes later he came crashing through the door into the garage. "The three guys Renkotsu and I contacted should be here soon." He said nodding.  
  
"Good. Jakotsu's on his way also I bet." The braided boy looked intently around the garage. "Wheres Ren?"  
  
"In the kitchen."  
  
"Go get him, and make sure he doesnt touch my ramen damn it!"  
  
Suikotsu chuckled. "Sure thing." The screen door slammed shut as he left to find the bald boy.  
  
Bankotsu sighed, slumping against the cold wall of the garage. Once again, he found his mind wandering, but not to music and lyrics as it should. Instead, he found himself thinking about a certain boy and a certain incident...  
  
'God, what were the odds of that? Me falling right on him like that... If i didnt know better, I'd say fate was conspiring against two guys to make them like each other... Nah, that's stupid!'  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, high above the garage...   
  
"You think they've figured us out Arushio?"  
  
"Hell no Chii."  
  
"Nopenope!"  
  
"Shut up Ayashi..."  
  
And the three demi-goddesses/god of Fate vanished, arguing amongst themselves. [1]  
  
~*~  
  
A car pulled up, a blue minivan, dragging Bankotsu back into the world of the sane. Three guys exited the vehical and filed into the garage. Two of them were mountains of men, each tall and muscled. One was a bit taller with hair in a mohawk. He wasnt very attractive, but at least he had good taste in clothes.   
  
The next one had messy red hair, large buggy eyes, and seemed to like metal... His jeans had metal chains, he had metal cuffs on both large wrists, and a metal spiked choker around his neck. Adorning his teeth were shiny braces.   
  
The last guy was really short, we're talkin HOBBIT short here. He wasnt much bigger than 4'2" maybe, squat and bald. His face was almost toad-like with his big buggy eyes and clownishly wide mouth.   
  
Bankotsu stood from his spot and waved. "Oi!"  
  
"Hey!" The middle guy, the one with braces, waved back. "We're lookin for a... Bankotsu." He read the name off a slip of paper. "This the right place?"  
  
"Hell yeah! I'm Bankotsu." The braided boy held out his hand, and the braces guy shook it heartily.  
  
"Name's Ginkotsu, and this is Kyokotsu--" He pointed to the large man beside him. "And Mukotsu." Then he pointed to the short, toad-ish man.  
  
"Oi! Ginkotsu! Nice to see ya! You too Kyokotsu and Mukotsu." Renkotsu poked his head into the garage. "Come on inside for a little while. This 'Jakotsu' guy isnt here yet."  
  
"Alright." The three stepped in after Renkotsu, talking away.  
  
Bankotsu sighed softly and sat back down, watching the driveway anxiously.   
  
~*~  
  
He didnt have to wait long before a black Lambourgini Diablo (A/N: Did I spell that wrong? Ah well...) pulled up on the side of the road in front of his house. Loud J-pop music, Megumi Hayashibara, he thought, blared from the interior; the tunes were almost drowned out completely by the giggling and talking of a bunch of girls.  
  
He could see a blonde in the driver's seat, and several in the back. And in the passenger's seat...  
  
Bankotsu stood, awed by the dark Prince that stepped from the passengers seat of the car and slammed the door shut.  
  
He wore a black, form-fitting muscle shirt over a long-sleeved fishnet shirt with baggy black cargos. On his feet were black boots, and he wore an assortment of jewelry, including spiked wristbands, a spiked collar, and a silver ankh pendant. His hair was pulled up into its usual style, in a loop, held up by one of his usual clips, only this one was black with a red dragon instead of the normal blue.  
  
"Bye girls! Thanks for the ride, and the makeover too I guess." Jakotsu chuckled.  
  
"Byyeeee!" Several girls chorused. Bankotsu recognized the school psycho-bitches, Jade and Cloey, and Kudzu from his literature class.   
  
As soon as Jakotsu had backed away from the car, it sped off down the road, leaving long black tire-marks.   
  
Jakotsu jogged up to the slightly stunned boy and smiled timidly. "Ah, hey Bankotsu..."  
  
"H-hi..." Close up like this, Bankotsu could see the blood red lipstick coating the boy's lips. Normally, he'd think it weird for a man to wear makeup, but... This was Jakotsu... For him, it just seemed so fitting...  
  
"So... where's everybody else?" Jakotsu's brown eyes scanned the garage, which was empty of people other than the two of them.  
  
"Theyre inside or something... I dunno..." Bankotsu stated.   
  
'I cant take my eyes off him... Am... Am I attracted to a guy?! No, impossible...' Bankotsu shook his head to clear his thoughts.   
  
~*~  
  
'Wow... He sure looks cute... And he cant look away from me... I'll have to thank the girls later...'   
  
Jakotsu could see Bankotsu slowly step closer... 'What's he doing?'  
  
'Who knows?' The chibi-angel version of him had appeared atop our hero's head.   
  
'Not you again! Where's the other one?' The poor boy... His nutty consiences just wouldnt leave him alone...  
  
'I put him in the hospital after he insulted my harp...' Angel Jakotsu said sheepishly.   
  
'Oh... o__o;'  
  
'He's close enough now! Kiss 'im Jakotsu! You know you wanna! And I bet all the fangirls will LOVE it! ^_~'  
  
Jakotsu found himself blushing furiously. 'But... But...'  
  
'Just do it! If not for yourself, do it for the yaoi fangirl reviewers!'  
  
'O~O reviewers?! What reviewers? This isnt a fanfic!'  
  
'Ano... Forget i said anything! ^^"'  
  
'Okay...'  
  
Unconsiously, Jakotsu leaned forward...  
  
~*~  
  
Bankotsu's mouth almost dropped open in shock. 'Is he... gonna kiss me? Why the hell would he do that?'  
  
'Because you're irresistable? ^-^' Devil Bankotsu popped up above his shoulder.   
  
'Eh... Not you again...'  
  
'Yes its me again, stupid! Now, when he kisses you, kiss him back!'  
  
'WHY WOULD I DO THAT?! IM STRAIGHT!'  
  
'Oh are you? -_-;'  
  
'Y-yes I am...'  
  
'Then why havent you had a girlfriend in the last 6-7 months?'  
  
'Most of the girls at school are either preps or psychos.'  
  
'Excuses, excuses. -_-; Maybe you just arent attracted to girls anymore. '  
  
'But im not like thaaaaaat!'  
  
'shut. up.' An icy glare from Devil Bankotsu.  
  
'Mommy... o~o'  
  
His consience vanished, and Bankotsu's breath caught in his throat. Jakotsu's crimson lips were but millimeters away from his own. 'He's really gonna do it...' A part of him wanted this, but another part of him kept screaming 'Im not gay!'. He had no clue which one to listen to...  
  
~*~  
  
Snickers erupted from behind them. Luckily for Bankotsu, he didnt have to choose a side to listen to.  
  
"Sorry for interrupting you lovebirds, but we've gotta start practice." Suikotsu chuckled.   
  
"Ah, yeah... Of course... heh..." Bankotsu laughed nervously, plugging in his amp. Jakotsu turned away and snapped his fingers.   
  
'Damn! Almost had him...'  
  
~*~  
  
A folder of music and lyrics was tossed to Jakotsu, and he caught it.  
  
"There's the lyrics. Look over those for the next five minutes and we'll start." Renkotsu grumbled.  
  
"Ah, okay..."  
  
~*~  
  
Five to ten minutes later, loud rock music could be heard from the the small garage of 1834 Shikon Road, and one could clearly hear the rather dark lyrics being sung.  
  
"I'm ethereal, my children are legion, serial   
  
They stick to my skin like beloved cysts   
  
I tear away with my nails and teeth and fists  
  
Touch the hands of inverted saints   
  
Follow my heart through the threaded pain   
  
Callow man is a sentinel screaming   
  
I see the future; the future is bleeding   
  
Sores, every goddamn minute I can feel 'em now   
  
Like a virus, you will never kill me now   
  
Goin' underground, comin' on like hepatitis   
  
We're out - and you can't reshape us   
  
Another bug in the construct   
  
Tearin' up the main bus B   
  
Zeros and ones are everything - execute me   
  
Everywhere you look, it's like they know   
  
Their fingerprints are hidden by CONTROL   
  
This is where the line is drawn, see   
  
YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME   
  
What do you need to see? Ya feel the impact?   
  
Gotta retract - everybody get back   
  
What is this? It's like a big conspiracy   
  
Fields of dejected morbid progeny   
  
They always say that it's always our fault   
  
But everything we say is taken with a grain of salt   
  
Man, it's always the same, if we talk or complain   
  
We only wanna upset the balance   
  
How's it feel to be the New Abortioin?   
  
The only generation to suffer extortion   
  
Everywhere you look, it's like they know   
  
Their fingerprints are hidden by CONTROL   
  
This is where the line is drawn, see   
  
YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME   
  
YOU CAN'T TAKE MY SOUL AWAY FROM ME!!"  
  
"TURN IT DOWN YA DAMN KIDS!" One random old man shouted from out his window next door, then closed it again.   
  
Bankotsu laughed as the song ended, choosing to ignore the senile old person. "That was great guys! Jakotsu, you were wonderful!"  
  
"Arigatou, Bankotsu-sama!" Jakotsu beamed happily.   
  
"I think we have our new band, ne Ban-kun?" Suikotsu asked, elated. With a band like this, he knew they would be famous eventually!  
  
"Hey guys... doesnt our band need a name?" Renkotsu asked, sitting down atop the lid of the cooler.  
  
"Yeah... How about... Desecrated Existence?" Bankotsu suggested, a well-placed shove sending Renkotsu flying into the wall. He opened the cooler, grabbed two vanilla pepsis and tossed one to Jakotsu, who caught it deftly.   
  
Baldie grumbled, standing up and brushing the dust from his jeans. "Thats good, but it doesnt really fit Bankotsu."   
  
Suikotsu looked around at the other band members, Kyokotsu, Mukotsu, Ginkotsu, Renkotsu, Bankotsu and Jakotsu. 'Hmm... kotsu... Like the famous fuedal era mercenary band we read about during the Japanese history lesson...'  
  
"How about... the Shichinin-Tai?" He spoke up.   
  
"Shichinin-tai? Like the mercenary band?" Jakotsu asked, tilting his head to the side. Renkotsu scoffed.  
  
"Amazing, you two morons actually pay attention in history cla-- OW! FUCK BANKOTSU!"  
  
"Dont. Call. Them. Morons." Bankotsu growled out, knocking him upside the head once more for good luck. Suddenly happy, cheerful, carefree Bankotsu was back. "I like that name! There ARE 7 of us!"  
  
"Great! We're the Shichinin-Tai then!"  
  
===============================================  
  
[AN] Mage: Well, if you cant tell that was a long chapter for me ^_^ I figured i should make it up to you all somehow... R&R please!  
  
[1]Arushio, Chii, and Ayashi: Daemons, Pheonix's, and my 3 demi-god/goddesses of fate from our InuYasha roleplays. Dont ask. 


	6. Chapter 6: Fate is a Tricky Thing

ANMage: Hi-yo all! I havent updated in a while, I realize... I'm really sorry! oo I just... lost inspiration for a while. But I'm back! D I want to dedicate this chapter to my friend Daemon for introducing me to the song that got me writing on this chapter, Vertical Horizon's "Everything You Want". Its a good song, yesss... Anyway, no review responses this chapter, fingers hurt from typing xx

Ashura: She's just being lazy, forgive her.  
Akuchi: yes, she's extremely lazy.  
Ai: Lazy-ass writer.  
Trowa: .  
Mage: -- i hate you four.  
Ai: read the chapter now... And review.  
"Seeya Suikotsu!" Bankotsu waved off the last of the band members, besides Jakotsu, after practice. Suikotsu jogged out and got into the passenger's seat of his sister's car. "Later Ban, Jakotsu!" Suikotsu's sister's car screeched off down the road and turned sharply at the corner. 'Geez, what is it with this town and bad drivers?' Ban wondered, an eyebrow raised.  
As if reading his mind, Jakotsu suddenly blurted out, "Must be the driving school teachers"  
"Yeah..."

10 minutes later.  
Jakotsu paced the front lawn boredly, brown eyes glancing towards the driveway every now and then. "Your ride still not here"  
"No." The feminine boy sighed. "Jade and her friend were supposed to pick me up but they're probably playing PS2 or got distracted by a couple of wandering bishounen"  
"Damn, that sucks... Ah well, screw them. I'll give ya a ride"  
"Thanks Bankotsu!" Jakotsu beamed happily at the other boy.  
"No prob. C'mon." Bankotsu climbed into a rather old and beat up pickup truck and kicked open the other door from the seat. "And ya gotta slam the door real hard or it doesnt close"  
"'Kay..." Jakotsu got in after him and slammed the door, as told.  
Bankotsu inserted the key and started up the truck... It quit. He tried again. It quit again. He tried AGAIN. It quit, AGAIN.  
"Um... Bankotsu"  
"Hn?" Tried again. It didnt quit amazingly!  
"Is there supposed to be smoke coming from under the hood"  
Bankotsu's eyes widened. He had been backing out. And suddenly... KABOOM!  
The engine exploded.  
And burst into flame.  
And the two stared, wide eyed.  
"Shit..." Bankotsu cursed. "Ah, Ja! Go inside and get the fire extinguisher, its hanging on the wall by the phone"  
"Sure!" Jakotsu threw open the door and rushed inside.  
Bankotsu got out and went around and threw the hood open, to see if he could salvage his one and only vehicle... Tough luck.  
While he was panicking and wondering what to do, his sleeve caught on fire... Isnt that always the way? "KYAAAA"  
Our poor bi-and-doesnt-know-it-yet hero then proceeded in screaming and running like an idiot. Honestly, havent these people ever heard of stop, drop and roll? Tsk, tsk.  
YAY! Jakotsu to the rescue! "Got it Ban!" The white, foamy fire extinguisher stuff soon covered the front half of the truck... and the top half of Bankotsu, up to his neck.  
"Ehe... Oops..." Jakotsu grinned sheepishly. "Sorry"  
"At least my sleeve's out..." A twitch. "Well, so much for your ride home"  
"Yeah..." He sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head. The fire exinguisher dropped to the grass with a soft thump.  
"Ah screw it, I think we've angered fate or something. Why dont you just stay here for the night? It's probably a helluvalot safter, for both of us." He chuckled a bit.  
'He's... inviting me... to stay the night? At his house?... FATE LOVES ME!' On the outside Jakotsu appeared calm, but happy. On the inside, he was screaming for joy. "Sure, thanks Bankotsu"  
"No prob..." 'Well... this was definately unexpected'  
"Oi, maybe you should wash that stuff off outside. I doubt you'd want it all over your bathroom, ne"  
"Good idea, very good idea..." So they headed to the backyard.  
Water rushed from the yellow hose as the knob on the spigot was turned. Bankotsu peeled off his shirt and proceeded in cleaning the extinguisher stuff off himself.  
'Ohhhh dear Kami... He's a god...' Jakotsu couldnt help but stare a little at the muscled, topless body of his crush as the water dripped off his smooth skin in rivets.  
A light blush spread across his cheeks and he looked away, pretending to be interested, instead, in a squirrel making its way up a tree with an acorn in its tiny little paws.  
Beady eyes glared at Jakotsu as the squirrel chittered away, its nut clutched protectively to its furry body.  
"I'm watchin you, buddy..." Jakotsu glared back, eye twitching slightly. "Watchin' who?" Bankotsu blinkued navy eyes innocently, suddenly behind Jakotsu.  
"Ehe... That..." Point.  
"Ohhh... Stupid little rodents... They're up to something, I know it..." Bankotsu stated, absolutely serious.  
'OH! How perfect is he! He even agrees that the squirrels are out to take over the world!' If he had been alone or amongst his female friends, Jakotsu would have swooned. But thankfully he didnt, cuz it probably would have freaked Bankotsu out.  
Bankotsu blinked... blinked... blinked again... And grinned.  
Jakotsu suddenly felt a rush of icy water on his back, through the thin, black, now soaking, shirt.  
"KYAAA! COOOOLLLLDDDDD!" Our favorite femmy-boy shrieked.  
"Gotcha!" Bankotsu doubled over, clutching his stomache and laughing heartily. Then... he felt the hose leave his hand. "Oh shit"  
Jakotsu grinned evilly as he directed the spray of water at Bankotsu, who ran, laughing still, black braid bouncing against his bare back.  
A little while later, two soaking wet boys trudged into the house, freezing their asses off due to the un-godly low temperature of hose water. Puddles formed beneath their feet and all over the tile floor of the kitchen.  
"Its... f-f-freakin cold in here Ban..." Jakotsu stuttered, arms wrapped tightly around himself.  
"Y-y-yeah... I'll turn up the h-heat... Th-then I've got some clothes you can wear..." Bankotsu replied, just as stuttery. He fiddled with the thermostat for a few minutes before hot air could be felt coming from the ventilator.  
The braided boy then padded into his room, his dripping pant legs dragging behind him, and he began searching through his drawers, tossing clothes everywhere. It was barely noticeable though; Bankotsu wasnt exactly the neatest of people.  
Jakotsu stood in the doorway, shivering slightly and looking around his crush's bedroom. It was rather messy; you could hardly see the floor under the cds and clothes and such. He had a desk, which was cluttered with papers, old homework, and what seemed to be lyric sheets. Bankotsu's bed was the only thing that was clear, but the denim comforter and navy sheets were all askew as if it hadnt been made in ages.  
Jakotsu smiled a bit and shook his head slightly. He was learning more and more about Bankotsu every encounter they had.  
"Aha!" The navy-eyed boy exclaimed triumphantly, withdrawing a couple articles of clothing from a hamper. "I think these are still clean anyway..." He blinked, tossing them to Jakotsu.  
"Thanks." Jakotsu chuckled, examining the clothes. It was a black t-shirt with a monkey on the front that proclaimed 'I like monkeys, just not this one.', and a pair of cotton pajama bottoms that were black with a grey flame and red biker Taz pattern. He giggled at the pj bottoms. "Cute Ban, cute"  
"My grandmother got em for me for Christmas..." Bankotsu muttered, his cheeks turning a delicious shade between red and pink.  
Jakotsu giggled, a melodic sound to Bankotsu. The braided boy glanced him up and down, turning redder when he found that... for some reason, he liked what he saw... Jakotsu's wet shirt clung to his nicely toned muscles, his hair hung in a half-loop, half down, the blue clip falling out. And the cute smile on his face topped it a-- Wait, cute!  
'Maybe my imagination is right... Maybe I AM bi... Or maybe all the water in my ears is blocking off my brain'  
"Ah..." He broke himself from his train of thought. "The bathroom's down the hall if you want to take a shower first"  
"Sure, thanks Bankotsu..." Jakotsu headed into the bathroom, depositing the clean clothing on top of a cabinet and starting the water. 'I'd much rather take a shower with you though'  
15 minutes later, Bankotsu had changed into a pair of lounge pants and t-shirt and now sat on the couch in the living room, towelling his long hair, which was for once out of its braid, and watching Crank Yankers on Comedy Central.  
Jakotsu exited the bathroom amidst a cloud of steam, wearing the pajama pants and t-shirt, squeezing excess water from his hair into a towel. Bankotsu couldnt help but stare as the towel was dropped into a laundry hamper nearby. He had never seen the boy in this state.  
For once, the grey-eyed boy wasnt wearing any makeup. None at all, yet the green snake-fang markings remained. Bankotsu decided that they were either natural, or tattoos. His damp hair remained down, instead of in the usual clipped-up loop. 'God DAMN... Screw my mind, my heart says he's fucking fine...' And so finally, Bankotsu's inner battle had been resolved. Just like that. 'So that means... I'm bi... Wait, whats wrong with bi-ness anyway? I have nothing against it... Its the guys I was worried about I guess. Stupid stupid Bankotsu... Suikotsu wont care, he's really open-minded... And who gives a shit what Baldie thinks? Not me'  
Bankotsu felt... refreshed. As if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He was bi. He was attracted to Jakotsu. He was okay with this. But wait... Jakotsu! What if... Ja was straight?  
'Shit man'  
Bankotsu had had his suspicions about the other boy's sexuality, due to the fact that Jakotsu wore makeup and stuff, but maybe he was just weird that way. 'Note to self: Ask Jakotsu. Settle this whole matter once and for all.' He thought to himself.  
"Ah, Bankotsu? Baaan-kuuun?" Jakotsu waved a hand in front of his face. "Reality to Bankotsu"  
"Huh? Wha? I'm awake, I'm awake!" The braided boy leapt to his feet, sweatdropping. His cheeks and the bridge of his nose turned red with a blush. "Sorry about that"  
"Its okay! I zone out a lot too! Especially in Algebra. Oo" Jakotsu said cheerily; the other laughed.  
"Who DOESN'T zone out in algebra?" Jakotsu noticed that his crush's laugh was nice, rich and deep. Contagious laughter that makes you want to laugh also, even if you have no clue what you're laughing about.  
"Anyway... I'm hungry. You hungry? I'm hungry"  
Jakotsu giggled. "Yeah, food sounds good"  
"Ramen okay"  
"HELL YA! I LOVE RAMEN!" Jakotsu bounced on the balls of his feet like a giddy schoolgirl, grinning almost stupidly. Bankotsu chuckled, slinging an arm around the other boy's shoulders.  
"Ya know Jakotsu... I like you. Even if you are a bit weird." 1  
"Really..." Jakotsu giggled a bit, Bankotsu laughing alongside him. It was a sweet moment, but sadly, it had to end. Even more sadly, it had to end when Jakotsu heard the television proclaiming that South Park was on next.  
"OH SOUTH PARK! I love that show"  
"Oohh! Me too! I'll be right back, I'm just glad ramen doesnt take much work!" Bankotsu rushed into the kitchen and set a pan of water on the stove to boil.  
Pacing anxiously, mentally willing the water to heat faster, he decided to turn on the radio. Luckily it was already set to his favorite station.  
Vertical Horizon's "Everything You Want" blared from the speakers, and Bankotsu grinned. This was a damn good song!  
After putting the ramen into the water to boil, he began dancing around the kitchen, singing along.  
Jakotsu looked up from a commercial for the new season of Chappelle's Show and glanced through the doorway into the kitchen. Bankotsu was dancing, not fast, but not slow, and singing along to one of Jakotsu's favorite songs.  
He smiled; Bankotsu just looked so cute like that, wearing blue camo lounge pants and a white t-shirt, his long dark hair free from its confining braid and swishing a bit with every movement he made. His hair was only slightly damp, and looked so soft and shiny.  
Hearing the song coming to an end, Jakotsu stood from the couch and entered the kitchen, his voice softly joining.  
Bankotsu stopped slowly and turned to face Jakotsu, who had a smile playing across his un-madeup lips. "Jakotsu..." Bankotsu didnt know why, but he suddenly had an urge to kiss the other, run his fingers through that shoulder-blade length loose black hair. It just looked so very soft, shining in the artificial light.  
The navy-eyed boy stepped a bit closer, his voice quiet. "Ja... I dont mean to offend you... but... are you gay?..." The question had just escaped his mouth. Bankotsu didnt even know what he was doing until he had said it. But he had to know, had to know for sure.  
Grey eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, Jakotsu's voice equally quiet. "You mean... you didnt know"  
"So... you are"  
A nod. "Yeah..." Jakotsu suddenly found the kitchen tiles interesting, looking down and off to the side, not wanting to meet Bankotsu's sapphire gaze.  
Bankotsu felt his heart soaring, as if it had suddenly sprouted wings. His spirits rose considerably, and a smile of true and pure happiness spread across his face. "Jakotsu... Look at me..." He gently commanded, cupping the other boy's chin in his hand and raising Jakotsu's eyes to meet his own. Tears rimmed those beautiful grey eyes.  
"Dont cry..." Bankotsu mumbled, eyes half-lidded. "You're too pretty to cry..." Lips met in their first real kiss. It was slow, simple, but full of emotions too strong to describe with mere words, like a fairytale kiss.  
But this was reality, and in reality, good things just come crashing to a halt. The bubbling over and the sizzling of the fire underneath the pot alerted them to their surroundings once more. The beginning theme song to South Park drifted from the living room tv, and Jakotsu took a deep breath. "S-south Park's on..." He stated, a bit shakily. He felt like his legs would turn to jelly and collapse any minute now. Bankotsu nodded, quickly turning off the stove and grabbing two bowls from the cabinet.  
"I-I'll be there in a minute"  
"Hai..." Jakotsu nodded back and walked into the living room, nearly falling back onto the couch, thoughts swirling through his mind.  
'Bankotsu... kissed ME... I didnt kiss him, HE kissed ME...' He smiled contentedly. 'For once in my life, I got the guy... I wonder if this means we're going out now...' He nearly giggled aloud, brimming with love and happiness. Life felt so good right now.  
A couple minutes later, Bankotsu joined him on the couch and handed him a bowl of ramen. The two spent the rest of the night watching Comedy Central and discovering their new unspoken relationship by cuddling and such.  
1 Took that last sentence ("Even if you are a bit weird.")directly from the anime! D Only in the anime Ban said "You're the only one I can rely on" instead of "I like you". Same thing, right? ; 


End file.
